Open width wet processing apparatus and process



Jan. 3, 1956 J. B. LASLEY 2,729,537

OPEN WIDTH WET PROCESSING APPARATUS AND PROCESS Filed April 3, 1951 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

JAMES B. LAJL 5") M, 7504M 384m II'TORA EKS J. B. LASLEY 2,729,537

OPEN WIDTH WET PROCESSING APPARATUS AND PROCESS Jan. 3, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 3, 1951 INVENTOR.

JAMEJ B. LAJLEV ATTOR/YIK) United States Patent OPEN WIDTH WET PRUCEINGAPPARATUES AND PRQCESS James B. Lasley, Lancaster, S. (1., assignor toThe Springs Cotton Mills, Inc., a corporation of South CarolinaApplication April 3, 1951, Serial No. 213,975

11 Claims. (Cl. 8-151) This invention relates to the wet processing offabric webs in open width form, and more particularly to an improvedapparatus adapted for this purpose and to the method of wet processingfabric webs with apparatus of this type.

The open width wet processing of a fabric web consists essentially oftraining the fabric web so that it is successively immersed in andwithdrawn from a constantly replenished treating liquor bath a number oftimes. An immersion tank is commonly employed to contain the treatingliquor bath, and a series of immersion rolls are usually arrangedadjacent the bottom of this tank for training the successive immersionsof the web in the bath.

Commonly, too, some sort of baffle means is arranged in relation to theimmersion rolls to create a tortuous path for the treating liquor flowand thereby agitate the treating liquor to enhance its action on thefabric web being processed. Heretofore, these bafile means havecharacteristically consisted of partitions arranged alternately forunderflow and overflow of the treating liquor. Such an arrangement hasbeen inherently troublesome, however, because it tends to trap anyfloating extract from the fabric web, and it has the further substantialdisadvantage of directing the treating liquor flow against the faces ofthe fabric web each time it is immersed so that the web forms a seriesof barriers to the treating liquor flow which either requires thetreating liquor to be moved through the immersion tank in the samedirection as the fabric web, or results in channeling the treatingliquor between the web selvages and the tank sides if it iscounterflowed, which tends to create a stagnant condition at the webfaces that substantially reduces the effectiveness of the treatingliquor. As a result, the treating liquor soon becomes spent because thelongest treated portion of the web is always subjected to the longestused treating liquor, and this in turn requires a series of separateimmersion bath units to be used in order to obtain adequate treatment.

The improved apparatus of the present invention overcomes thesedisadvantages by providing for channeling of the treating liquortransversely of the open width of the fabric web being processed so thatthe treating liquor may be effectively counterflowed to allow the wetprocessing treatment to be carried out in a much smaller space and withsubstantially greater facility and efficiency than has heretofore beenpossible.

The improved apparatus and method of the present invention are describedin further detail below in connection with the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic longitudinal section of an open width wetprocessing apparatus embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the immersion tank incorporated in theapparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail taken sub- 2 1sgubstantiallyfrom the position indicated at 4-4 in Referring now in detail to thedrawing, the embodiment of the open width wet processing apparatus ofthe present invention as shown in Fig. 1 comprises an immersion tank Itof generally elongated form and in which a plurality of immersion rolls12 (some of which may be elliptical as at 14) are arranged in parallelspaced relation adjacent the bottom of the tank 10 and along its entirelength.

Above the tank 10 a corresponding series of elevated guide rolls 16 arearranged for training a fabric web as at W in open width form under theimmersion rolls 12 (or 14) and for withdrawing the web W above the tank10 again from each of the immersion rolls 12 (or 14) in succession.

Fresh treating liquor is introduced in the tank 10 according to thepresent invention at the end of the tank ll) from which the fabric web Wis finally withdrawn (i. e., the left end as shown in Pig. 1), and spenttreating liquor is drained from the tank 10 at the other end where thefabric web W first enters. The fabric web W will normally be withdrawnfinally from the tank 10 through a pair of squeeze rolls 18, as iscommon practice, and the fresh treating liquor may suitably beintroduced by spray means as at 26! arranged to play on the web W aheadof the nip of the squeeze roll pair 13 so that it falls in the adjacentend of the tank 10 as it drains from the nip of the rolls 18 and fromthe web W.

By this arrangement the freshest treating liquor is always applied firstto the most fully treated portion of the web W so that the greatestpossible treatment differential is obtained, and this remains true asthe treating liquor is counterfiowed through the apparatus in relationto the direction of web progression.

In order to provide for effective counterflow of the treating liquor inthis manner, the immersion tank 10 is further fitted with partitionmembers as at 22 (some of which may be arranged specially as at 24 for apurpose that will be explained further below). All of the partitionmembers 22 (and 24) are disposed in the tank 10 to extend upwardly fromthe tank bottom between the immersion rolls 12 (and M) to a height abovethe treating liquor level to be maintained and alternately from oppositesides 0! the tank 10 in a length extending at least in projectedalignment with the far edge (as indicated by broken lines at E in Fig.2) of the open width of the fabric web W but terminating short of theother tank side.

As a result, the partition members 22 serve as baflle means forchanneling the flow of treating liquor in a sepentine path (as indicatedin Fig. 2 at F) so that it is directed transversely of the open width ofthe fabric web W at each of the immersion rolls 12 (and 14) in a mannerthat obriates any substantial resistance to the counterflow by the web Wand that presents all of the treating liquor for effective action on theweb W.

The spent treating liquor may be drained from the tank 10 at the righthand web entrance end (as seen in Figs. 1 and 2) by means of an overflowas indicated at 26 in Fig. 2 arranged in any suitable manner to maintainthe desired treating liquor level in the tank 10.

In addition to the previously mentioned final squeeze roll pair 18, itwill usually be desirable to employ an initial squeeze roll pair 28arranged in the usual manner to act on the fabric web W before itreaches the immersion tank 10, and there will usually also be advantagein employing further intermediate squeeze roll pairs 30 spaced above thetank 10 at intervals along its length to act on the web W. According tothe present invention, these intermediate squeeze roll pairs 30 arespaced 3 at intervals in relation to the specially arranged partitionmembers 24 mentioned above (see Fig. l).

The special partition members 24 are adapted for compartmenting the tank19 when desired, and for this purpose may suitably extend upwardly forthe full tank height as shown. Also, these special partition members 24are fitted with door members as at 32 (compare Figs. 2 and 3) arrangedfor closing to cover the space by which the partition members '24terminate short of one or the other of the tank walls, and thereby formseparate compartments in the tank 10. These door members 32 maysuitably-be of the sliding type as illustrated in Fig. 2, the openposition of the door members 32 being indicated in full lines and theclosed position in dotted lines.

As the specially arranged compartmenting partition members 24 arearranged in relation to the intermediate squeeze roll pairs 39 asmentioned above (i. e., vertically below the squeeze roll pairs 34)),they provide for operating the apparatus of the present invention inseparately functioning units if desired. Thus, an additional spray meansas at 34 may be provided ahead of the nip of one or more of theintermediate roll pairs 30 to introduce fresh treating liquor to aseparate tank compartment formed by closing the door member 32 of thespecial partition member 24 below the intermediate squeeze roll pair orpairs 39 involved. When this is done, the fresh treating liquor isintroduced at the point of withdrawal of the fabric web W from thecompartmented tank unit and the treating liquor is counterflowed throughthe unit in the same manner as when the fresh treating liquor isintroduced only at the final squeeze roll pair 18 and counterfiowedthrough the entire tank 10, as previously described. The tank 10 may beprovided with further overflow drain means as at 26 located just aheadof each of the special partition members 24 and arranged to be closedoff when the apparatus is not compartmented, or removable cover plates36 may be arranged over additional drain openings adjacent each of thespecial partitions 24 for replacement with a suitable overflow or otherdrain means when desired.

It should be noted at this point that the manner in which the treatingliquor is counterflowed according to the present invention, so thateffective web processing treatment may be obtained by successiveimmersions of an open width fabric web W in a single immersion tank 1 0,makes it possible to arrange the apparatus of the present invention in aparticularly compact form with regularly spaced immersion rolls 12 (and14) and guide rolls '16. For example, an installation of apparatusembodying the present invention as illustrated in Fig. 2, and whichincorporates 25 immersion rolls 12 (and 14) and squeeze nips in additionto the initial squeeze rolls 28; has actually been made in exactly thesame space formerly occupied by wet processing equipment having only 12immersion rolls and only 3 squeeze nips.

In order to maintain this exceptionally compact arrangement while stillproviding for operation of the present invention in compartmented units,auxiliary guide rolls as at 38 and 46 are disposed ahead of eachintermediate squeeze roll pair 3t and ahead of the final squeeze rolls1%, for displacing the fabric web W backwardly as it is withdrawn fromthe last immersion roll 12 of each compartmentable tank section andthereby train the web W for return at a proper disposition for entranceat the squeeze nips without varying atall the regular spacing of theimmersion rolls 12 (and 14) and guide rolls 16. This arrangement alsoallows conventional expander rolls as indicated at 42 in Fig. 1 to bespaced ahead of each squeeze nip in the usual manner, and slack take-uprolls 40 carried on bell crank pressure arms or the like (not shown) tobe provided as necessary or desirable.

The embodiment shown in Fig. l of the apparatus of the present inventionis particularly adapted for a washingtreatment following a bleach, andfor this purpose the treating liquor would be hot water introduced atthe final nip spray means 2% and maintained at a proper temperature byjacket steam, the entire bottom of the immersion tank 19 being jacketedas at 46, during its counterflow to the drain means 26 at the other endof the tank 14}. The effective counterflow washing treatment provided bythis apparatus reduces substantially the amount of wash water normallynecessary and accordingly also provides very substantial steameconomies.

In the usual case, the tank 10 may be left uncompartmented for atreatment of this sort. Alternatively, however, it may be desirable tocompartment the tank 10 at the first intermediate squeeze roll pair 30and introduce fresh water at the spray means 34 too in order to take offa highly concentrated bleach liquor solution for recovery beforecontinuing with the remainder of the washing treatment. Also, inaddition to washing and recuperating, the apparatus of the presentinvention may be employed for a variety of other wet processingtreatments carried out separately, such as scouring or soaping ordyeing, or the apparatus may be compartmented as described above forcarrying out combinations of these treatments in successivecompartmented units of the apparatus.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes ofillustration only and is not intended to be limited by this descriptionor otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An open width wet processing apparatus for treating fabrics in webform comprising an immersion tank, means for training an open Widthfabric web for immersion and withdrawal successively a plurality of,times from said tank, and bafile means in said tank for separating eachimmersion of a fabric web by said training means, said bafiie meansbeing arranged in said tank as partitions extending alternately fromopposite sides of said tank in a length reaching at least in projectedalignment with the respective opposite side edges of said web andterminating short of the other side of said tank, whereby said bafllemeans are adapted for directing a treating liquor flow in said tanktransversely of the open width of a fabric web at each immersion thereinby said training means.

2. An open width wet processing apparatus for'treating fabrics in webform comprising an immersion tank, a plurality of immersion rollsarranged in spaced relation adjacent the bottom of said tank, andpartition members disposed in said tank to extend between said spacedimmersion rolls alternately from the opposite sides of said tank in alength reaching at least in projected alignment with the respectiveopposite side edges of said web and terminating short of the other sideof said tank, whereby said partition members are adapted as baffie meansfor directing a treating liquor flow transversely of the open width of afabric web trained under said immersion rolls.

3. An open width wet processing apparatus for treating fabrics in webform comprising an immersion tank, a plurality of immersion rollsarranged in parallel spaced relation adjacent the bottom of said tank,and partition members disposed in said tank to extend upwardly from thebottom thereof between said spaced immersion rolls and alternately fromthe opposite sides of said tank in a length reaching at least inprojected alignment with the respective opposite side edges of said webbut terminating short of the other side of said tank, whereby saidpartition members are adapted as baflle means for directing a treatingliquor flow transversely of the open width of a fabric web trained undersaid immersion rolls.

4. An open width wet processing apparatus for treating fabrics in webform comprising an immersion tank, a plurality of immersion rollsarranged in parallel spaced relation adjacent the bottom of said tank,means arranged above said tank for training the open width of a fabricweb under each of said spaced immersion rolls and for withdrawing theweb above said tank successively from each of said rolls, means forintroducing a treating liquor adjacent the point of final withdrawal ofa fabric web from said tank by said training means, means for drainingsaid tank of spent treating liquor adjacent the point at which a fabricweb is first passed under an; immersion roll by said training means, andpartition members disposed in said tank upwardly from the bottom thereofbetween said spaced immersion rolls and alternately from opposite sidesof said tank in extending relation short of the other side thereof butin a length reaching at least in projected alignment with the respectiveopposite side edges of said web for directing the treating liquor fiowto said drain means transversely of the open width of a fabric web ateach of said immersion rolls.

5. An open width wet processing apparatus for treating fabrics in Webform comprising an elongated immersion tank, a plurality of immersionrolls arranged in parallel spaced relation adjacent the bottom of saidtank along its entire length, elevated guide rolls for training an openwidth fabric web under said spaced immersion rolls and withdrawing theweb above said tank successively from each of said rolls, means forintroducing fresh treating liquor at the end of said tank from which thefabric web is finally withdrawn, means for draining said tank of spenttreating liquor at the opposite end of said tank where the fabric web isfirst passed under an immersion roll, and partition members disposed insaid tank upwardly from the bottom thereof between said spaced immersionrolls to a height above the treating liquor level and alternately fromopposite sides of said tank in a length extending at least in projectedalignment with the far edge of the open width of said fabric web butterminating short of the other tank side for directing the treatingliquor flow to said drain means transversely of the open width of saidfabric web at each of said immersion rolls.

6. An open width wet processing apparatus for treating fabrics in webform as defined in claim 5 and further characterized in that a pair ofsqueeze rolls are disposed above said tank for acting on said fabric webas it is finally withdrawn, and said means for introducing freshtreating liquor comprises a spray arranged to play on said fabric webahead of the nip of said squeeze rolls.

7. An open width wet processing apparatus for treating fabrics in webform as defined in claim 5 and further characterized in that a pluralityof squeeze roll pairs are spaced above said tank at intervals along itslength for acting on said fabric web, and auxiliary guide rolls arearranged ahead of each of said squeeze roll pairs for displacing saidfabric web backwardly in order to train it for return at a properdisposition to the nips of said squeeze rolls while still allowing saidfirst mentioned guide rolls and immersion rolls to be regularly spacedalong the entire length of said tank.

8. An open width processing apparatus as defined in claim 7 and furthercharacterized in that the tank partition members disposed beneath eachof said squeeze roll pairs are fitted with door members arranged forclosing the space between said partition members and said other tankside to compartment said tank, said tank is provided with drain meansadjacent the points at which a fabric web first enters each of the tankcompartments formed when said door members are closed, and spray meansfor introducing fresh treating liquor is arranged to play on said fabricweb ahead of the nips of at least two of said squeeze roll pairs.

9. An open width wet processing apparatus for treating fabrics in webform comprising means for containing a treating liquor bath, means forimmersing and withdraw ing a fabric web in open width form a pluralityof times in and from said bath, means for introducing fresh treatingliquor to said bath adjacent the point of final 'withdrawal of saidfabric web, means for draining spent treating liquor from said bathadjacent the point of first immersion of said fabric web, and means forchanneling a continuous flow of treating liquor between said introducingmeans and draining means in said bath widthwise of the open width ofsaid fabric web at each immersion of said web in said bath.

10. The method of wet processing a fabric web in open width form whichcomprises immersing and withdrawing said fabric web a plurality of timesin and from a treating liquor bath, introducing fresh treating liquor tosaid bath adjacent the point of final withdrawal of said fabric web,draining spent treating liquor from said bath adjacent the point offirst immersion of said fabric web, and channeling the flow of treatingliquor in said bath transversely widthwise of the open width of saidfabric web at each immersion.

11. The method of wet processing a fabric web in open width form whichcomprises immersing and withdrawing said fabric web a plurality of timesin and from a treating liquor bath, counterfiowing the treating liquorbath bath in relation to the direction of travel of said fabric webthrough said bath, and channeling the flow of treat ing liquor in saidbath transversely widthwise of the open width of said fabric web at eachimmersion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS160,743 Barker Mar. 16, 1875 761,107 Muntades et a1. May 31, 19041,008,413 Huillard Nov. 14, 1911 1,037,280 Matter Sept. 3, 19121,402,765 Haskell Jan. 10, 1922 1,421,664 Brown et a1. July 4, 19221,683,782 Johnson Sept. 11, 1925 1,819,051 Wilson et al. Aug. 18, 19312,142,043 Boyd Dec. 27, 1938

1. AN OPEN WIDTH WET PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR TREATING FABRICS IN WEBFORM COMPRISING AN IMMERSION TANK, MEANS FOR TRAINING AN OPEN WIDTHFABRIC WEB FOR IMMERSION AND WITHDRAWAL SUCCESSIVELY A PLURALITY OFTIMES FROM SAID TANK, AND BAFFLE MEANS IN SAID TANK FOR SEPARATING EACHIMMERSION OF A FABRIC WEB BY SAID TRAINING MEANS, SAID BAFFLE MEANSBEING ARRANGED IN SAID TANK AS PARTITIONS EXTENDING ALTERNATELY FROMOPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TANK IN LENGTH REACHING AT LEAST IN PROJECTEDALIGNMENT WITH THE RESPECTIVE OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES OF SAID WEB ANDTERMINATING SHORT OF THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID TANK, WHEREBY SAID BAFFLEMEANS ARE ADAPTED FOR DIRECTING A TREATING LIQUOR FLOW IN SAID TANKTRANSVERSELY OF THE OPEN WIDTH OF A FABRIC WEB AT EACH IMMERSION THEREINBY SAID TRAINING MEANS.
 11. THE METHOD OF WET PROCESSING A FABRIC WEB INOPEN WIDTH FORM WHICH COMPRISES IMMERSING AND WITHDRAWING SAID FABRICWEB A PLURALITY OF TIMES IN AND FROM A TREATING LIQUOR BATH,COUNTERFLOWING THE TREATING LIQUOR BATH BATH IN RELATION TO THEDIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF SAID FABRIC WEB THROUGH SAID BATH, AND CHANNELINGTHE FLOW OF TREATING LIQUOR IN SAID BATH TRANSVERSELY WIDTHWISE OF THEOPEN WIDTH OF SAID FABRIC WEB AT EACH IMMERSION.